Catching foek



(No Model.)

J. F. MAINS. MAIL BAG GATGHING PORK.

No. 435,508. Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. MAINS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-THIRDS TOBRUCE CARR AND HARVEY M. LA FOLLETTE BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

MAlL-BAG-CATCHING FORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,508, datedSeptember 2, 1890.

Application filed Ianuary 13, 1390- Serial No. 336,785. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: One end of leverL is pivoted to the bar orto Be it known that I, JOHN F. MAINS, a citithe arm, and the other restsagainstastop m,

zen of the United States, residing at Indianprojecting from the othermember, the arapolis, in the county of Marion and State of rangementbeing such that the lever stands 5 Indiana, have invented a new anduseful across the path of the incoming bag, so as to Mail-Bag-CatchingFork, of which the followhold the fork open, and its free end is disenisa Specification gaged from the stop by the impact of the bag Myinvention relates to an improved device against the edge of the lever.for catching mail-bags either upon or from a The catching-fork ismounted across a car- IO car in motion. door by means of a pair ofbrackets like C,

The objects of my improvement are to presecured to the side of thecar-door, the brackvent the mail-bag from rebounding out of the etsbeing alike, so that the bar A may be catching-fork and to cause the bagwhen turned end for end in the brackets and precaught to beautomatically swung onto a platsent the open end of the fork alwaystoward 15 form or into a car, as the case may be, all as the directionin which the car is moving.

hereinafter fully described. Bar A is provided at its rear end with anThe accompanying drawings illustrate my elastic buffer N,preferably ofrubber, and the invention. bar is secured in its bearings by a cotter-pmFigure 1 represents a plan showing the 0, passing through the baroutside of the 2c catching-fork set to receive the bag. Fig. 2 bearing,the arrangement being such that represents a plan showing the bag caughtby when the end of buiferNi-ests against the inthe fork and ready toswing into the car. Fig. ner face of the bracket the rib (Z will rest in3 represents a plan showing the fork at rest the groove 6, and therewill then be sufficient after receiving the bag. Fig. 4 represents aspace between the outer face of the bracket 2 5 plan of the fork,showing the interior of its and the cotter-pin to allow a longitudinaljoint. Fig. 5 represents a view in perspective movement of the barsufficient to draw the of one of the brackets in which the catchingribout of the groove. fork is mounted. For the more secure retention of themail- In the drawings, A is a bar having at each bag when caught theedge of bar A, opposed 8o 0 end a cylindrical portion adapted to slideto the arm F, may be provided with one or longitudinally and to turn inbearings like I), more inwardly-inclined teeth, as at 1). formed on asupporting-bracket C, Fig. 5. In operation the mail-bag is suspended atOne end of bar A is provided with a short astation in the usualwellknown'or any other projecting rib d, which is adapted to enter suitablemanner, so that the middle of the 3 5 and slide easily in a groove 6,formed in the bag will be about on a line with bar A on the face ofbracket O, the purpose being to precar and within reach of the arm Fwhen exvent bar A from turningin its bearings when tended. As the carapproaches the station, the rib is engaged with the groove. arm F isextended and held in position by F is a slightly-curved arm pivoted atone engaging the free end of the trip-leverL with 40 end to bar A at h.Arm Fis drawn normally stop m. Bar A is now turned so that rib d towardbar A by a stiff spring 2', mounted in enters groove e, thus holding armF extended a hollow casing j, formed on the bar and suroutward at anangle with the side of the car, rounding the pivot h. A clamp is thusthe open end of the angle being toward the formed which is adapted toembrace and hold suspended mail bag. As the car passes the 5 a filled orpartially-filled mail-bag. bag, the bag enters the angle between bar AFor the purpose of holding the free end of and arm F, and lever L,coming in contact arm F away from bar A, and thus forming a with thebag, is disengaged from stop m, arm fork in which the bag 10 may bereceived, and F is released, and the bag is grasped between which willbe automatically closed on the enarm F and the bar by the tension ofspring i. I00 0 trance of the bag, I mount between the bar The shock ofcontact with the bag compresses and the arm near their joint atrip-lever L. buffer N and the recoil of the buffer throws rib (I out ofgroove r, thusleaving the bar free to yield to the weight of the bag andturn on its axis, thus swinging the lower end. of the bag into the carin the position shown in Fig. 3. It is obvious that the fork may be usedto receive a mail-bag in like manner from a moving car by mounting thefork on a frame beside the track and suspending the bflfl from the car.

I claim as myinventionf 1. In a mail-bag-eatehing fork, the combinationof bar A, adapted to slide and to turn in fixed bearings at each end andhaving the hollow easin formed integral therewith and provided with stopm, arm F, pivoted to the bar within said casing, spring 11, mountedwithin the casing and arranged to engage and control the arm, andtrip-lever L, pivoted to the bar and arranged to engage the stop.

whereby the buffer is compressed by the impact of the mail-bag and therib is disengaged from the groove by the recoil of the; butter, as andfor the purpose set forth.

JOHN F. MAINS. Witnesses:

II. 1. H001), E. K. Hoop.

